Online retail giant Amazon is set to make its entrance into Southeast Asia, starting with a launch in Singapore next year, according to a media report on Wednesday (2 November).
Citing two sources close to the company, tech media portal Techcrunch said that Amazon is quietly acquiring assets, including refrigerated trucks, and making new hires ahead of its entry into Singapore.
Amazon plans to launch in Singapore by the first quarter of 2017, the report said, adding that the company will initially offer its Prime delivery service alongside its AmazonFresh grocery services.
Earlier this year, Amazon’s bid for grocery delivery startup RedMart was rejected for being too low. In a joint statement on Wednesday, Southeast Asian e-commerce firm Lazada announced it is buying RedMart for an undisclosed sum.
Amazon’s plans for Singapore comes months after it pumped US$3 billion into its India business and a week after it introduced its Prime services in China.
